A strawberry smoothie recipe is the perfect pick me Strawberries are an excellent source of healthy nutrients. Apart from being low in calories and rich in vitamin C and potassium, they are high in fiber making them an excellent way to keep you full. Try this strawberry smoothie recipe to keep yourself going from breakfast until lunch. Don’t be surprised to see that all it takes is four ingredients.

How to Make a Healthy Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

 

Strawberry Smoothie Ingredients:

Yields: 4 servings

2 cups fresh strawberries (16-18 strawberries)

1 cup skim milk (low fat)

1 ½ cups vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup (8-10) ice cubes

Directions:

1. Place ice cubes into a blender or food processor and blend until crushed.
2. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth.

Strawberry banana smoothie ideas:

If you love strawberries and bananas both, simply add 2 ripe, sliced bananas to the above recipe for a refreshing smoothie. Packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium, it is an extremely healthy drink. A strawberry banana smoothie is an ideal for on the go breakfast or a late afternoon snack.

Chocolate smoothie recipe for kids:

Who minds chocolate for breakfast? While the above smoothie recipe itself is a great way to get picky eaters eating fruit they might not otherwise, 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup added will get them on the breakfast table in no time.

Dos and don’ts of breakfast smoothies

With the right blend of ingredients, a breakfast smoothie can be a nutritional powerhouse, whereas, just a few misguided add-ins, can quickly transform it into a high calorie, sugar laden dessert. So, make sure you avoid these pitfalls:

• Don’t just throw everything into the blender; instead measure the ingredients to keep the nutrition stats in check.
• Never add sugar to your smoothies. If needed to sweeten, do so naturally. Try adding, dates, beets, or honey.
• Lastly, beware of overindulging. To keep the calories and sugar in check avoid second servings. Try adding ingredients such as oats or avocado to keep you feeling full long after the breakfast.

Apart from being healthy, this strawberry smoothie makes a wonderful treat for any occasion. So, which version are you trying this morning?

One of the highlights of New Year’s Eve is certainly the popping of the Champagne bottle and drinking excellent cocktails or shots. But do you have the sparkling, glimmering glasses that suit such event? If not, don’t get out buying new ones. Just get your old plain glasses and even plastic ones and dress them up with these easy ways to make them worthy of being part of the celebrations. Look at these easy ideas for your New Years Eve Party Ideas.

New Years Eve Party Ideas: Dress Up your Party Glasses

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Make Sprinkle or Edible Glitter Rimmed Glasses

This is such an easy and fun way to make an impression. Just dip your glass into a little syrup, honey, icing or chocolate, depending on what you will drink with it. Then dip it into the sprinkles of your choice. Chocolate and colored sprinkles are great for kids, but take care that they are old enough not to try to bite it off. Bright colored sanding sugar or edible golden or silver glitter is a unique to way dress up Champagne flutes or cocktail glasses.

To make your own colored sugar you will need 1 cup plain white sugar and 2 drops of the food color you want. Take a jar which has a good fitting lid and pour in the sugar. Add the food coloring and close the lid. Now just shake the jar until all the sugar is colored. If needed, add some more food coloring and repeat the process. Spread the sugar onto a baking paper sheet or aluminum foil and let it dry for a few hours.

Beautify the Bowl of the Glass

To do that you will need glitter of choice, modge podge, paint brush and if you want stencil and tape or some painter’s tape. Clean the glasses thoroughly and make sure they are dry. You can now use the painter’s tape to wrap around the rim or stem or tape the stencil on the glass. Apply to the area you want to decorate a thin layer of modge podge and sprinkle the glitter so it will stick to the podge. Let it dry completely.

The best way to make sure that the glitter doesn’t come off is to apply one or two coats of decoupage coat. Let them dry and remove the tape and stencil if you used one.

Using the same method, you can also decorate the base of the glass.

Decorate the Wine Glass Stem

Print out some labels, use washi tape or create your own labels and wrap them around the stem. Use colors that match the rest of the décor and write season’s wishes.

For a simpler decoration, you can tie a nice ribbon around the stem or secure it with a drop of hot glue.

It is easy to turn an ordinary item into something great and impressive. Add some party mood and a good bottle of Champagne and you are all set to have the first, fancy drink of the New Year.

For more New Year’s ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Who doesn’t love a delicious egg nog recipe for the holidays?  Who doesn’t love holiday drinks this time of year? You got it!  Let’s whip up some classic egg nog for the holiday season.  We all have those beautiful memories of sipping on a glass or cup of egg nog while listening and enjoying our guests, so today make your own to keep with the familiar tradition.  The recipe is simple and even more delicious to taste.  So for this year pull out the saucepan and milk mix so you can recreate this candied beverage for all to fall in love with all over again!

How to Make a Classic Holiday Egg Nog Recipe 

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Egg Nog Recipe Ingredients:

4 cups of Milk
2 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
5 Whole Cloves
1 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
12 Egg Yolks
1 1/2 cups of Sugar
4 cups of Light Cream
2 1/2 cups of Light Rum
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg

Homemade Eggnog Recipe Directions:

1. Heat the milk, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a saucepan over a low heat for approximately 5 minutes. After the time has passed remove the saucepan from the heat.
2. Take a large bowl, and whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the combination becomes fluffy. Then begin to whisk the hot milk mixture slowly with the mixture of fluffy eggs.  After the two mixtures have been combined, pour them into the saucepan. Cook them over a medium heat, being sure to constantly stir it for 3 minutes or until it becomes thick.
3. After mixture has become thick, strain it to pull out all of the cloves.  Then let it cool for about an hour.  Then stir in the rum, cream, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and nutmeg.
4. Refrigerate the mixture over night before serving and then ENJOY!!!!

Looking for more holiday drinks?

Take a look at our 26 holiday cocktails – perfect from Thanksgiving through New years!

For more delicious drink recipes on Stagetecture, visit our drinks archives.

Is there any food or drink that doesn’t taste better with pumpkin spice? Any Halloween Party that respects itself should definitely have a tasty Halloween Drink that will complement the treats and foods that will be served. A great idea for any Halloween Party, especially for a buffet, is to make this fruity Halloween Drink: Pumpkin Spice Punch. Getting creative with the presentation and serving of the punch can even make it an essential part of your Halloween Party. Try these yummy Halloween treats alongside your Pumpkin Spice Punch.

Halloween Drink: How to Make Pumpkin Spice Punch Recipe

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Halloween Drink: Pumpkin Spice Punch

Pumpkin Spice Cocktail Ingredients

• A bottle of bourbon (750 ml)
• 12 ounces pumpkin puree
• 12 ounces lemon juice
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tsp fresh grated or ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 bottles ginger beer

Halloween Drink Directions:

1. Take a large bowl and pour in the bourbon, juices, pumpkin puree, honey and spices. Stir well until all ingredients are combined.
2. Strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer into a large pitcher. Refrigerate until it’s time to serve.
3. Before serving, stir in the ginger beer.
4. Serve in glasses with ice for extra freshness and use cinnamon sticks, sage leaves, extra cinnamon or ginger for decor.

Need more Halloween Punch Ideas?

Try our Spooky Halloween Green Punch Recipe. Perfect for your Halloween party.

To give it an extra Halloween look, serve the punch inside a Jack O’ Lantern. Just cut a circle in the top of a large pumpkin and hollow it out. Place a bowl that snugly fits inside the pumpkin and fills it with the punch. You can add creepy ingredients to the bowl to maximize the Halloween look or fruit pieces. Another great way is to use dry ice. For that, you will need two bowls, that a safe for dry ice, one larger as the other. The larger one should fit nicely into the pumpkin. After fitting the bowl into the pumpkin, use a tong to fill the bottom with one layer of dry ice. Cover with the slightly smaller bowl and fill it with the prepared punch. Now pour carefully some hot water into the bottom bowl so it comes in contact with the dry ice, making it to “smoke”. Keep in mind that this smoky effect will faint with time, so you will need to replenish the dry ice from time to time to keep the smoke going.

For more Halloween and drink recipes on Stagetecture, click here

Halloween punch recipes are perfect for parties this season. Halloween is just around the corner. You can hear people talking about it along the streets and children getting excited with their own tricks or treats. Hosting a Halloween party takes several preparations and one of them is the drinks that you will serve to your guest. Of course, it should not only be thirst-quenching but something spooky in a way.

One of the most popular ways to make your drinks spooky is by giving it a blood-like color or texture. Try this Spooky Green Halloween Punch recipe for your party. This delicious and spooky drink will definitely get on the nerves of your guests – in a great way! This is so easy to make and very quick to prepare. You can even work it out with your kids.

Spooky Green Halloween Punch Recipes 

Halloween Punch Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 quarts water
• 2 (0.13-ounce) envelopes lime drink mix
• 1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice
• 1 quart ginger ale

Directions:

1. Stir together sugar and 2 quarts water until sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill.
2. Note: For a scary presentation, place punch bowl into a larger bowl, and add dry ice to larger bowl.

Try this Halloween Punch Recipe too!

Ingredients:

1 liter Clear lemon-lime soda

1 12 oz Limeade frozen concentrate

1 gal Lime sherbet

1 6oz box Lime jell-o

6 cups Water, fresh

This Halloween Pumpkin Spice Punch recipe is a must try:

Throwing an adult Halloween party? Check out this pumpkin spice punch recipe.

The taste should capture the hearts of your guests. You can fill in at least 4 quarts after following the procedure. Make sure you give a bit of your creativity in the presentation. One way to enhance its spooky appearance is by placing a second container filled with dry ice. The smoke from the dry ice will make it look interesting and spooky. It will certainly capture the attention of any guest who comes close to your Spooky Green Halloween Punch recipes.

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture

Thinking about serving a red sangria recipe for your holiday plans? Don’t let the drink menu slip your mind as a great way to add some patriotic color and refreshing flavor!  This Berry Red Sangria is light and fruity, with red and blue colors that will look great on the picnic table.  Really make the drinks center stage by using cute glasses, like mason jars or painted wine glasses, for a holiday feel.  The simple, sweet taste is the perfect complement to a summer afternoon and a barbecue for two or twenty.

How to Make a Delicious Berry Red Sangria Recipe

If you prefer, you can easily turn this drink into a mocktail.  Simply swap out the alcohol for ginger ale, flavored seltzer water or fruit juice for a bubbly and family-friendly substitute. We also love this sangria recipe made with watermelon and cucumber!

Don’t be afraid to play with the liquid ratios, this is an easy drink to customize with different amounts or types of alcohol, or even using different fruits completely!  This sangria will be a crowd pleaser that never gets old with all of the possible tweaks.

Berry Red Sangria Recipe

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Berry Red Sangria Ingredients:

1 bottle of your favorite dry white wine or red wine

1 cup light rum

1-2 cups real pomegranate or cranberry juice (to taste)

1-2 cups orange juice (to taste)

2 cups ginger ale

1 cup sliced strawberries and/or watermelon

½ cup blueberries

Sangria Directions:

1.  Using an ice cube tray, fill each section halfway with water and add blueberries to each cube.  Place in the freezer until solid.

2. In a large pitcher, combine the white wine, rum, and fruit juices.  Feel free to adjust the ratios to your preference.  Add the sliced fruit and chill the pitcher in the freezer for at least 2 hours so the fruit can infuse the sangria.

3. For serving once the ice cubes are solid and the sangria is chilled, add the ginger ale just before pouring to keep it bubbly.  Then pour the sangria into glasses and add the blueberry ice cubes.  Garnish with a sliced strawberry and sip away!  Refrigerate any leftovers… and enjoy on another occasion.

For more drinks and cocktails for your party, take a look through our archives on Stagetecture.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Dunkin’ Donuts. All opinions are strictly my own.

Every time I feel stressed out or need to unwind from a hectic workday, peppermint tea is my classic go-to comfort drink. Peppermint tea is a natural and relaxing herb and I’m excited that it’s one of the delicious new flavors in the premium hot teas at Dunkin’ Donuts. This season I’m excited to pair with Dunkin’ Donuts and help promote their delicious line of new premium hot teas. Whether you are at home or at work, take a look at their delicious blends ready for you to pick up when you go for your next donut run!

Relax your Day with Dunkin’ Donuts Premium Peppermint Tea

Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Shops aren’t Just for Coffee 

While Dunkin’ Donuts is known for its delicious coffee blends, now hot tea drinkers like myself can choose one of 5 yummy flavors to choose from. My favorite is the ‘Cool Mint’ flavor that is a peppermint tea. I can’t wait to try them all!

• Cool Mint Herbal Infusion: A caffeine-free herbal infusion combining peppermint leaves and natural herbs to offer a cool, invigorating taste.
• Bold Breakfast Black Tea: A bold blend of full leaf black tea for a full bodied flavor.
• Harmony Leaf Green Tea: A vibrant full leaf green tea delivering a delicate earthy flavor.
• Chamomile Fields Herbal Infusion: A caffeine-free herbal infusion featuring chamomile flowers, citrus, and herbs combined to offer a fragrant and delicate taste.
• Hibiscus Kiss Herbal Infusion: A caffeine-free herbal infusion featuring hibiscus, herbs, and natural berry flavors to deliver bright and juicy flavors in every sip.

There’s always a yummy treat to enjoy at Dunkin’ Donuts and this Cool Mint Tea will be perfect with my Blueberry Donut!

Rushing Through Your Day Can be Made Better with Peppermint Tea

When I visited my local Dunkin’ Donuts I was amazed to see their full menu isn’t just donuts anymore. From breakfast sandwiches and baked goods to frozen beverages and now premium teas, you can enjoy a relaxing cup of tea anytime of the day, at work or at home. I enjoyed making a fresh cup of hot tea and perusing through Pinterest to relax my cares away!

Before you think that you can’t enjoy delicious premium tea on the go, think again. Dunkin’ Donuts ‘Cool Mint’ peppermint tea and other flavors are perfect for when you’re feeling sluggish or when you need a relaxing way to wind down from the day. Let me know which flavor is your new favorite.

For more drinks on Stagetecture, see our drink recipe archives.

Disclosure:  I was compensated a Keurig® Coffee Maker to review but all opinions are my own.

Whether you call your favorite warm drink hot chocolate or hot cocoa, December 13th is the day to make your favorite variety of this yummy drink this winter season. Happy Hot Chocolate Day (National Hot Cocoa Day) is the perfect time to try new warm drink recipes, but it’s also perfect to find new ways to create your hot brew. I’m excited to pair with Keurig® to review their Keurig® K250 Coffee Maker brewing system.

Celebrating Hot Chocolate Day with My Keurig® Coffee Maker

I love coffee and tea and I always have a coffee maker ready for when guests come over! I was excited to see Keurig 2.0 Brewing Technology® can make hot chocolate, apple cider, and even my favorite teas! Take a look at how versatile the brewing system is and how you can celebrate Hot Chocolate Day too!

No more packet hot cocoa! How to make hot chocolate:

My daughter loves hot cocoa but I’ve never been a fan of the powder mixes as it seems like the powder never dissolves correctly. I either get the bubbles of mix at the top or I get the thick residue at the bottom of my cup. What I love up the Keurig® coffee maker is the K-cup pods that mix everything for you, so every cup comes out perfectly mixed, ready to drink.

Here’s a few winter favorite K-Cup® Pod Flavors to try:

For Hot Chocolate Day – Swiss Miss Peppermint Hot Cocoa
For Coffee Lovers that love peppermint – Donut Shop Peppermint Bark Coffee
For A Holiday Coffee Blend: Green Mountain Coffee Holiday Blend Coffee

This Hot Chocolate Day Enjoy your Favorite Hot Cocoa!

Whether you like yours with marshmallows, peppermint candies, or a shot of your favorite liqueur, celebrate this December 13th and the rest of the cold weather season with a Keurig® coffee maker. I loved being able to make hot cocoa for me and my daughter, and my hubby could have tea, and my in-laws could have apple cider and coffee. All in about 5 minutes!

Do you have a Keurig® coffee maker? Tell me what your favorite hot beverages are and how you will celebrate Hot Cocoa Day!

For more of our favorite drink recipes on Stagetecture, take a look at our archives.

Have you started planning your holiday parties and holiday cocktails menu? Whether to just unwind on a lazy day, celebrate a festive occasion, spend time with your special one, or hang out with your best buddies, a holiday cocktails drinks are the best option to set off the proper mood. Yes, the theme of our recipe roundup this week is cocktail drinks. We’ve scoured the Stagetecture archive to present you with recipes that you’ll surely love!

26 Holiday Cocktails Recipes for Entertaining

1. Rum Hibiscus Cocktail Recipe

The drink is so splendid that you can easily make it the drink of any big event – like the Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. The mixture of rum and hibiscus tea is thirst-quenching but light in alcohol – perfect for making an occasion just a little more festive and colorful. The flavors from mint sprigs and lemon juice have made the drink even better.

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2. Citrus Mulled Wine Recipe

It is tagged as a winter cocktail but no one prevents you to take a sip on a comfortably cool fall night! The preparation is done by mixing together red wine, honey, aromatic spices, and tart citrus fruits including lemon and orange. What’s even better? You can preserve it for two weeks and the spices’ flavors deepen over time!

3. Mojito with Extra Lime Recipe

A classic Mojito cocktail is welcome in any time of the year and for any occasion! The drink is punchy enough to rock any barbecue, party, or outdoor cookout. It is quite strong because of the white rum as the base but the effect has been softened a bit by using club soda and fragrant mint leaves and fresh lime juice.

4. Strawberry Basil Margarita Recipe

A cocktail drinks list would be incomplete without a margarita cocktail drink. And, when it is combined with the refreshing goodness of strawberries and basil leaves? Ah, heaven! The invigorating, uplifting drink is a perfect afternoon cocktail and ideal for awakening your taste buds. The preparation is also easy, as you just need tequila, limeade concentrate, strawberries, basil leaves, and water.

5. Valentine’s Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe

How about a love-cocktail drink? Seems enticing, right? Surprise your loved ones with this red-hot cosmopolitan cocktail recipe on the Valentine’s Day or any other special day. The easy-peasy recipe just needs vodka, orange flavor liqueur, and Ocean Spray Cran-Lime juice! It is a vibrant drink that kicks and adds a taste of elegance to a function.

We’ve tried to cover a cocktail drink for every kind of occasion in this recipe roundup list so that you don’t need to look otherwise next time while planning for a cocktail drink. Our selections are so luscious that they will increase the taste of the main and side dishes manifold.

21 Holiday Cocktails Recipes from Blogger Friends

Here is a list of our favorite 21 holiday cocktails that will surely get you in the holiday spirit! These colorful and festive drinks are easy to make and will most definitely impress your friends and family this holiday season. From sparkling apple ciders to peppermint vodka hot chocolate, thereís a cocktail to please everyone. The hardest part will be choosing your favorite!

1. Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria
2. Easy Thanksgiving Drink Recipes
3. Carribbean Eggnog
4. Whiskey Espresso
5. Candy Cane Cooler Cocktail
6. Kentucky Christmas Cocktail with Candied Orange
7. Blood Orange Negroni
8. Pumpkin Apple Cider Shandy
9. The Blitzen
10. Hot Buttered Rum
11. Fireball Cider
12. Hot Holiday Cider
13. Cranberry Mojito
14. Gingerbread Sparkler
15. Cranberry Wine Hibiscus Mint Cocktail
16. Chocolate Orange Cocktail
17. Cranberry Bellinis
18. Pear Chai Toddy
19. Sparkling Candy Cane Mimosa
20. Peppermint Vodka Hot Chocolate
21. Mint Cheer Holiday Cocktail

Looking for more holiday entertaining ideas?

Look to these holiday ideas to make your holiday party memorable!

15 Holiday Hostess Gifts

20 Christmas Centerpieces

This holiday enjoy your friends, family and enjoy entertaining with Stagetcture’s inspiration.

Who’s ready for cooler weather and delicious fall drinks? That’s right the wonderful Fall season is here and what better way to celebrate the season than with the best Fall drink recipes that we all have come to love and enjoy. Recipes that range from lovely coffee to delicious martinis to suit anyone’s Fall drink needs. So let’s not waste any time and dive into these cocktail and drink recipes that we are dying for.

Recipe Round Up: Our Best Fall Drinks 

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1) Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Now we have to begin the list with the ever popular Pumpkin Spiced Latte.  This drink recipe has warmed us up with its warm milk, lively espresso and rich sweet pumpkin taste with cinnamon flavors.  It definitely brings “Autumn in a Cup,” to another level.  The pumpkin spiced latte is great to make but even better to taste.  Take a look here to find out how to make this beautiful drink:  Pumpkin Spiced Latte Recipe.

2) Pumpkin Martini Recipe

How about a Fall cocktail for a twist?  Pumpkin is such a Fall favorite that it is no surprise that one would add it their Fall drinks like their coffee or even some other beverages, like Martinis for instance. Which introduces the Pumpkin Martini recipe.  This drink, with its succulent flavors of spices, will leave your mouth a fulfilling taste and sensation.   Here’s how to create this recipe:  Pumpkin Martini Recipe.

3) Hot Chocolate with Coconut

Have you ever thought about taking a classic and putting a spin on it?  Hot chocolate has always been a favorite for decades.  With the chilly atmosphere having a warm chocolate drink is definitely a great way to spend some of the time of your day.  But don’t just stop there add in a little coconut for a refreshing taste.  This recipe helps o have a soothing and rich taste for everyone to love.  Tips on how to make:  Hot Chocolate with Coconut Recipe.

4) Pumpkin Spiced Punch

Pumpkin is the flavor of the Fall and its been placed in coffee and martinis but what about punch?  The pumpkin spiced punch recipe is great for Halloween parties and just the Fall season in general.  Its fruity flavor and lovable taste will have the kids and adults begging for more.  Take a look at the recipe here:  Pumpkin Spiced Punch.

5) The Classic Apple Punch Recipe

Apple is another flavor that invites the Fall season in.  And the Apple Punch recipe is no different, with the soothing apple and other additional fruity flavors everyone will definitely make this one of the Fall favorites.  Not only would you be able to use this drink for parties but even as an after school treat for the kiddie widdies.  Learn to make this recipe here:  Classic Apple Punch Recipe

The Fall season can be an amazing time of the year.  The colors in nature begin to change, football season is back and its time to get ready for the holidays.  Having recipes really help to cement when certain seasons are in the midst.  Fall drink recipes are quick, simple and enjoyed by all.  So what are you waiting for Stagetecture readers go ahead and make these recipes and do you have any favorite recipes of Fall drinks then let us know.

For more fall drink ideas on Stagetecture, click here.